I am supporting the Bleeding Disorders Foundation of North Carolina because they are an amazing organization. When Noah was diagnosed with hemophilia at only 2-days old, my life changed dramatically. But, because of the Bleeding Disorders Foundation of North Carolina, I learned about hemophilia, how to raise Noah without limiting him, and connected with people I would now consider to be part of an extended family. Noah is now 13 years old, and I can see how the programs that the Bleeding Disorders Foundation of North Carolina provides will help Noah develop independence and eventually learn to manage his hemophilia on his own.  

So, what does it mean to have hemophilia? Most likely, unless you are part of the bleeding disorders community, you don't know much about it. There are only 30,000 people living with hemophilia in the United States today. When someone has hemophilia, they are missing an important protein in their blood called factor. In Noah's case, it's factor 8. Without factor, you cannot form a clot when injured, so you continue to bleed for a long time. While cuts can be a problem sometimes, the bigger problem is internal bleeding into joints and muscles. But internal bleeding can happen anywhere and for no reason at all. While we usually think of injuries happening because of trauma, for Noah, they can also happen for no apparent reason. Think about if you twist your ankle. For most people, it hurts for a little bit and then feels better. But for Noah, a twisted ankle could lead to internal bleeding into his ankle, which is very painful.

The support and sense of community that the Bleeding Disorders Foundation of North Carolina provides helps people feel less isolated. I am raising money to support the Bleeding Disorders Foundation of North Carolina so they can continue to improve the quality of life of people affected by bleeding disorders with education and support programs, advocacy, and other services that they provide the community.

Thank you for your support!